A new national poll indicates that a majority of Americans don't like what they've heard so far about congressional Republicans' plans to change Medicare.

According to a CNN/Opinion Research Corporation survey, a majority also don't think the GOP has cooperated enough with President Barack Obama and, for the first time since they won back control of the House last November, the number of Americans who say that Republican control of the chamber is good for the country has dropped below the 50 percent mark.

The poll indicates that 58 percent of the public opposes the Republican plan on Medicare, with 35 percent saying they support the proposal. The survey's Wednesday release comes as the president met with House Republicans to discuss, among other things, Medicare reform. The House Republican 2012 budget, authored by Rep. Paul Ryan of Wisconsin, passed the chamber in April without a single Democratic vote and included a proposal to overhaul Medicare. Under the plan, the government would no longer directly pay medical costs for those 55 and younger, but instead would offer subsidies for seniors to use to get private health insurance coverage.

"Half of those we questioned say that the country would be worse off under the GOP Medicare proposals and 56 percent think that GOP plan would be bad for the elderly," says CNN Polling Director Keating Holland. "Opposition is highest among senior citizens, at 74 percent, suggesting that seniors are most worried about changes to Medicare even if those changes are presented as ones that would not affect existing Medicare recipients."

"A majority of all demographic groups don't favor the GOP Medicare proposals," Holland adds. "That includes conservatives - 54 percent of them don't like the plan. As a result, rank-and-file Republicans are split right down the middle, with 48 percent favoring the GOP plan and 50 percent opposed."

The poll is another sign that the House Republicans' Medicare proposal could be politically damaging to the party. Last week the Democrats won a special election to fill a vacant House seat in New York's 26th congressional district, which the GOP held for over a generation. The Ryan Medicare plan became a major issue in the race, with both the Democratic and Republican candidates, the party committees and outside organizations spending millions of dollars to run ads that focused on Medicare.

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I am pleased at the fact that people have actually looked at the facts and decided that the Ryan plan is mean-spirited – take from those less fortunate and elderly and give more to the wealthy.

I am well over 65 and would not be affected by the plan to destroy Medicare. However, many older people do not want their children, grandchildren, or older friends screwed so the very rich can buy another Mercedes. Raising the Bush tax cuts back to the level they were when he took office for people making over $250,000/year is not a radical idea. Warren Buffet agrees – not all wealthy people have mean spirits.

Thank you NonZionist for telling it like it is! I understand why you didn't use Obamas spenditure, because while it is high, it's been spent in order to save states from going under due to un-employment,& lack of services,( like water & electricity). Many don't realize how bad things were in this country in '07'-'09', after Bush & Co.got done bleeding us dry! Many people didn't just lose jobs but homes, their savings & retirement plans,& many became homeless, living in shelters. That's what Bush did to us! Now many of the right are "Tea-Bags", uber- conserv's. who are in the pockets of "the Bigs"! All they seem concerned with is how to best siphon $ out of our Necessity Programs, which BTW Joe Moore, our tax$ have paid for! You are ignorant as to how the Socialistic system works so stop spouting nonsense! Nothing in life is free, & I resent Repubs going after my tax$ to give to programs they want to "subsidize"! They all seem like the "Stepford Wives" of the political world, all with $ signs in their eyes!

I'm not happy with Obama's huge hand-out to AIG and Wall Street, and I'm not happy with his team of "economists": Most of them travel back and forth through the revolving door at Goldman Sachs and the central bank. This is corruption on steroids. Instead of rewarding the criminals, Obama should have given the money to sound local banks and credit unions. I'm not happy with Obama's huge give-away to the medical insurance racketeers, either. And now, instead of two wars, we have three.

I don't understand why Obama keeps capitulating to the Republican losers. Is he taking orders from the Powers that Be?

This said, Obama is still the lesser of the two evils, by far.

There is a lot that is wrong with government, so I can understand why the Tea-Party people might want to demolish it and start over. Unfortunately, most of these people have been co-opted by racists, corporatists and repressive fundamentalists. We need a non-divisive pro-freedom opposition party that represents the bottom 98%. Maybe D and R outcasts will find common ground and make common cause someday - a Ron Paul / Dennis Kucinich ticket!

Medicare will start on the first day of your birth month unless you were born on the first day. In your case it will start on May 1. If you were born on May 1 it would start on April 1. It never tsrats on any other day of the month.You have a certain time period to sign up. If you are on social security your Medicare card will automatically be sent to you around 3 months prior to your birth month. If you are not on social security most likely you will have to sign up by contacting the social security office. You can sign up during a 7 month window which is 3 months prior to your birth month, your birth month, and 3 months after your birth month. If you sign up during or after your birth month Medicare will be effective the first day of the following month. For example, if you turn 65 on May 22 this year and you haven't contacted social security or received your card you need to do this now and Medicare will be effective June first. If you wait until sometime in June to sign up it will be effective July 1. If you do not sign up by August 31 your next window will be January 1 through March 1 for a July 1 effective date, plus you will have a Part B penalty to pay monthly forever.

The GOP has disliked Medicare/SS since FDR. This is not a solution to fix the existing problems this is to eliminate it completely. Insurance cos are in business to make a profit. They are not your friends. They will not play fair with your health or have any concern for your well being. This is what our politicians think of us. They even tell us its for our own good. They squandered it and we get to pay for it by doing without. Even after we've paid for it for 40+ years. Congress got theirs(gold plated lifetime benefits). That's what matters,right? Hopefully people are paying attention this time.

Education is a wonderful thing. So is a knowledge of history. Man has a built in knack of repeating mistakes, how American who live next door to Canada know nothing about our health care system baffles me. I just had a cystoscopy and this is how much I paid, and how it all went down. I went to ER at 7 o'clock in the morning, was out by 9:30 a.m., with an appointment to see a specialist, two weeks later I showed up at 8 o'clock and was out by 11 am. I also watched the Royal wedding while awaiting the specialist for a 9 o'clock appointment. Luckily nothing was wrong, and I was home before 12 noon. Finally my out of pocket expense was the cost of my bus ticket, I had decided not to drive. How do you listen to doom and gloom stories about 'socialized medicine'. There should be no profit in health care. You are being 'played' America.

And that's why they voted down raising the (Debt Ceiling) yesterday. But as we all know Our country will never go in Default as long as the *Powers* that be... has their hands full while shuffling the money in their pockets.

Thanks again NonZionist, you are truly educated in matters of gov't, & the stuff we're going thru rite now. I agree with you about Obama! I've been waiting for him to be the forceful leader he was during election, & but alas, he's a mere politician after all.Still, to vote in the rite wing assorted nuts would destroy this country, as we know it, & turn us into something resembling our neighbor to the south, a land of Rich&Poor! I'd love to see a Ron Paul/ Dennis Kucinich ticket, men who make sense! It'll never happen! Thanks also to LANS who so susinctly explained logical health care! We should not have to pray to the healthcare Gods & hand over our paychecks as offerings in order to see some1 3-6 mo's from now! Our system sucks! It truly is time for a revolution!

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